To jones



(No Model.)

J, H ALKER.

DIE FOR SHAPING A ROUNDBD HEAD 0R KNOB ON GOUPLING PINS.

- No. 245,692. Patented Aug. 16,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. ALKER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JONES & LAUGHLINS, OF SAME PLACE.

DIE FOR SHAPING A ROUNDED HEAD R KNOB 0N COUPLING-PINS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,692, dated August 16, 1881.

Application filed May 14, 1881. (No model.)

a Rounded Head or Knob on Coupling-Pins;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accomro panying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which-like letters indicating like parts- Figure 1 is a top-plan view of my improved dies brought together face to face, and showing the openings through which the blank is inserted. Fig. 2 is a face or end view of one die, showing theform ofworking-cavity therein. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the center'of the cavity, taken in the plane of the line as w,

Fig. 2. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show sectional elevations looking toward the inner or closed end of the cavity, such sections being taken across the cavity in the lines .70 .90, 00 x and 00 respectively. Fig. 7 shows the form of blank operated upon by my improved dies. Fig..8 illustrates the effect upon. the blank of the first compression of the dies, and Fig. 9 shows a finished head or knob as made by the dies on the end of a coupling-pin.

0 My invention relates to dies for shaping and forming a rounded head or knob on couplingpins of the class shown in Fig. 9, such head being made from a previously-upset blank, substantially of the form shown in Fig. 7

3 5 Heretofore this class of work has been done principally by means of hammer-dies operated by variable or yielding blows, such dies having in their working-faces die-cavities the counterpart of or shaped to fit the head which it was desired to produce. Such dies, in the hands of skillful workmen, are capable of producing good results; but the skill required to operate a steam or drop hammer properly to secure such results adds materially to the 4 5- expen se of manufacture.

My improved dies are designed to produce the desired knob or head when operated by compression or by a positive uniform motion imparted by unyieldingconnections with the driving-power, as distinguished from yielding andvarying blows, and by reason of their construction and operation, as hereinafter described, the desired work can be done with them by comparatively unskilled or cheap labor, and in greater quantities within a given 5 5 time than by hammer-dies heretofore in use.

The-nature of the work to be performed is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 7 represents a blank, B, prior to being operated on by myimproved dies. It consists of an upset end, I), shoulder I), and stem b Such a blank may, for the purposes of my present invention, be made in any convenient way, and suitable means for doing such work will form the subject-matter of a separate ap- 6 plication for patent.

In forming the rounded head or knob a of the pin (see Fig. 9) from the upset end b of the blank, it will be observed that the end is extended in length, the diameter adjacent to shoulder b is reduced to form the neck of the pin between the ball a and shoulder a, and the surplus metal displaced from the neck is worked toward and shaped into the rounded head or knob, giving it, by preference, larger diame- 5 ter than the upset end b. If the shaping-cavities in the dies be made counterparts of or to fit the head thus formed, as has heretofore been the practice, and such dies be given a full and equal stroke or movement each and every time, the metal will be displaced in such manner and indentures be made therein to such depth, especially on the first com pressions, that a good and perfect head cannot be formed; but by shaping the die-cavities as herein shown and-described such difficulties are obviated and material advantages are secured.

Two dies, 0 and D, are employed, one of which (as die 0) is fixed in place in any convenient way with the working-face by preference in a vertical position. The other die, D, is arranged to move its working-face toward and from the face of die 0 by equal OlilllllfOllll movements, which may be imparted and directed by any suitable power mechanism adapted to give uni- 9 5 form, positive, compressing movement equal in extent for each and every stroke. Such mechanism is in common use in bolt and similar machines, and I do not consider it necessary to describe the same in detail. In the adjacent working-faces of, these dies areformed .parts of a working-cavity, E, such parts being alike or duplicates, except in relative position or arrangement. These part cavities E are shaped or formed as follows: Along the bottom and inner end, in the direction of line 00 00, the cavities conform to the shape which it is desired to give to the head of the pin. This form along the line 00 a0 is shown in the sectional view, Fig. 3. On either side of this line, over a comparatively narrow belt, the walls of the cavity conform also to the desired shape of head. The width of this belt is greatest, however, at the inner end, 0, and in the bottom of the ball part 0. At the neck 0 it isquite In the shoulder-cavity e and stemcavity 6' the walls are, by preference, given the form of the corresponding parts of the blank through their entire extent, from the bottom upward to the face of the die, so that the stem b and shoulder b may be received in such parts, 6 and'e without reduction, and thereby prevent flow or working of the metal in end 1) toward the open end of the die-cavity.

In the reducing part of the cavity, which, for convenience, I have designated by the letter 8, the side walls 0 c, from the face of the die inward toward the bottom 0 e, are cut away from a size or curve corresponding to the end I) of the blank, giving such sides an outward curve of considerably greater diameter than b, and thereby affording space on either side, within which the metaldisplaced by the action of the dies may flow or spread. Such spread or flow of metal as caused by the first compression on the end bis illustrated atd d, Fig.8. This cutting away of sides 0 c is diminished toward the shoulder parte ofthe cavity, gradually merging the cut-away and full walls in a curved line conforming in position and direction to the upperorcurved surface of shoulder a of the pin, as represented at i in the die, Fig. 2, and at t" in the partly-finished blank, Fig. 8. In the reverse direction, or inward, this cutting away is continued along the side walls 0 of the ball-cavity to, or nearly to, the plane of line ac m, from which it gradually diminishes and mergesinto the shaping-surfaces e 6'. By this means space is afforded for flow of metal along both side walls from the neck into the ball part of the cavity. I have illustrated in sectional views, Figs. 4 and 5, the outward slope of the side walls from the face toward the bottom due to the cutting away, as described. At the neck the walls 0 are thus given a double curve, slightly convex toward the bottom 0 and concave toward or at the face of the die.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 8, it will be observed that the bearing of the dies at the neck 0 is nearly at right angles to or straight across the blank. This direction of bearing is due to cutting away side walls c between lines 00 w and 00 00 as described, and, in addition to aid afforded thereby in working back the metal, it is especiallyuseful in preventing the dies from'indenting the metal so as to mark the knob, as they would do if the cavity-at the face of the die conformed to the neck and knob of the pin.

shoulder b.

In ham mer-dies such marking can be prevented by regulating the power of the blow or the distance which the dies are forced into the metal; but with compression-dies, which have equal extent of motion at all strokes, they will be forced into the metal their full stroke on the first compression, and in so doing they will, unless cut away substantially as above described, cut into the metal of the blank to such depth as to render it very difficult or impossible to remove the marks from the article by the dies alone.

In order to operate the movable die D with as little motion as practicable, I cut an opening, R, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) leading from the upper side of the dies to the die-cavity. The part 1' of this opening is intended, when the dies are separated, to pass the shoulder of the blank to part c of the cavity, and the part 1" difference is in appearance, however, and the two sides are shaped substantially alike, so far as the walls are preserved.

. In operation, the workman passes a blank, B, properly heated, through opening R, asdescribed, and rests the shoulder and stem 1) b inthe nonfreducing parts 6 e of the cavity in stationary die 0. On the advance movement of die D the end I) of the blank is compressed close to shoulder b by the parts 6 of the dies,

thereby spreading the metal and elongating -end I), as illustrated by comparison of .Figs. 7

and 8. As die D is withdrawn the workman rotates or turns the blank in die 0, so that upon the next forward movement the Wings at d are compressed, resulting in still further elongating the end I) and reducing it next to In this manner the end b is extended until, after one or more compressions, it abuts against the inner end wall, e, of the die-cavities, when further elongation is prevented. On continuation of the operation the surplus metal near shoulder b is worked or flows backward, and is upset in the ball part of the cavity. Owing to the cutting away of the sides along this reducing part 8 of the cav ity, the dies will have their greatest bearing along the belt 6 e 0 which belt serves to give vthe final form and finish to the knob andneek of the pin.

Ordinarily the desired form of head can be secured by five or six compressions or operations of the dies 5 but a greater or less number may be employed, as preferred, depending upon the condition and quality of metal employed. The dies may be operated rapidly, as

If desired, the Workman may be assisted in holding the blank in place by any suitable or well-known form of rest arranged in front of the die; but ordinarily this will not be neces-' sary or advantageous.

Securing the desired form in the article depends principally upon the form and construction of the dies, and comparatively little upon the skillof the workman. Consequently cheaper labor may be employed than is required to do the work by hammers or ham mer-dies; also, the work can be done more rapidly, owing to the extent to which the metal is reduced and worked back at each compression.

While I have designed my improved dies especially for use With a positive compressing motion, as described, I do not wish to limit my invention to such use alone, as dies having substantially thefeatures of construction above I described may be used to advantage in hammers, enabling the workman to form the desired head more quickly, since more powerful blows may be given without injurious marking; also, the metal is more easily and quickly worked into the knob or ball by reason of the space afforded by the cut-away sides; also,

such dies may be used to produce a similar knob or head on other articles than couplingpins, a blank being first prepared having at one end a shoulder and extended end I) I), substantially as in Fig. 7.

I claim herein as my inventiou 1. The dies 0 D, for shaping a knob or rounded head and neck on the end of a coupling-pin blank, such dies having cavitiesE therein, with part cavities e 6 adapted to receive the stem and shoulder of the blank without reduction, and reducing part cavity 8, having a shapingsurface along the bottom and at its inner end corresponding in form to the neck and head of c the pin, with its side walls, 0 0, cut away from the face of the die inward, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The dies 0 D, for shaping a rounded head on the end of coupling-pins and similarlyshaped articles, such dies having part cavity 0 adapted to receive the upset shoulder of a previously-formed blank without reduction, and a neck and knob shaping cavity, 8, connected therewith, such shaping-cavity having bottom and inner-end shaping-surfaces, e 6 0 with side walls, 0 0', cutaway from the face of the dies toward the bottom and toward the knob or ball part of the cavity, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The dies 0 D, for shaping the head of couping-pins, having in combination non-re duoing part cavities e reducing part cavities s, the latter having cut-away side walls, as described, and opening R, leading from the surface of the dies to part cavities c and 8, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination of two shaping-dies, O D, for forming a rounded head or knob on coupling-pins and adapted to be operated by compression, such dies having in their working-faces cavities E, with parts 0 adapted to receive the upset shoulder of the blank without reduction, and reducing part 8, having its bottom and inner-end surface alone conforming to and adapted to bear upon the finished knob or head, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN H. ALKER.

Witnesses:

R. H. WHITTLESEY, 0. L. PARKER. 

